People withdrawing from alcohol or drugs can stay or drop in at a centre at Queen and Sherbourne Sts. where a human services counsellor works with them

St. Michael’s human services counsellor Matthew Douglas helps clients get through withdrawal — and make a plan to stay clean after.

Why did you get into this field?

I saw the impact that out of control use of drugs and alcohol can have on families and individuals early in my life in Woodstock, Ont. It’s a community that was ravaged by prescription opiate addictions. I also saw people have great comebacks ... I wanted to make sure aid was there for people that were trying to get help and ended up going to George Brown’s social service worker program.

What does your job involve?

I do addictions counselling through withdrawal management services, so basically detox. The goal is to provide a safe place to withdraw from drugs or alcohol, so it’s non-medical but we’re linked to the hospital and we monitor withdrawal symptoms. We also make sure that when clients go on outings, they go where they’re supposed to go, meals are dispensed on time, disputes are taken care of and provide counselling.

Is withdrawal as intense as it’s portrayed in movies?

It can be what you see in TV and movies but it’s not always the case, either. When cases are severe — when you see alcohol withdrawal there can be things as dangerous as seizures — people are referred to the hospital.

What do you wish most people knew about addiction?

Our clients are doing the best they can with a situation that’s extremely complex. You see people who don’t want to send their loved ones to these centres because they’re not thrilled with where they’re located or what kind of services they offer. But everyone that goes is someone’s loved one.

What’s the most rewarding part of your job?

Seeing people reconnect with parts of their lives that they thought were gone and over with, whether that’s a family member they haven’t talked to in years or finding housing.

How do you stop yourself from taking this job home with you?

It takes time to get used to what you hear and what you. But my employer and manager are great at making sure we have support and understanding.